November 29, 2018

A new study suggests an increased focus on microchipping by shelters and veterinarians may make a lifesaving difference for stray pets. In a study published in the current issue of the Journal of Veterinary Behavior, researchers found that in Israel, animal shelters have a return-to-owner (RTO) rate for dogs of 67%, while the U.S. shelters… Learn More

October 9, 2018

Take what you think you know about the history of animal sheltering and throw it out the window. Susan Houser, the author of the popular blog, Out the Front Door, recently published her book, Prodigal Pets, which dives deep into the history of animal sheltering and the origin of the no-kill movement. For example, in… Learn More

September 25, 2018

If we want to save the lives of more pets, it’s important to understand why animals are brought to the shelter in the first place. In our latest Maddie Talk, you will learn about LifeLine Animal Project's initiative Pets for Life, and how the program tackled this issue head-on. The Atlanta area program wanted to… Learn More

September 18, 2018

No one wants to see pets born who will end up homeless or unwanted. But in areas where veterinary practices are already facing a tough economic landscape, the opening of nonprofit spay/neuter clinics can feel threatening. Are those fears realistic? A new study published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association suggests the… Learn More

July 20, 2018

When Sgt. Karl Bailey of the Seagoville, TX, police department was asked to take over the city’s animal shelter, he balked at first. He’d been a police officer for 22 years; what did he know about animal sheltering? Nothing, that’s what. But he finally agreed to do it under two conditions: It had to become… Learn More

May 3, 2018

Looking for ways to get your shelter’s dogs out into the community so they can get seen by more potential adopters? Consider partnering with your local police department! That’s what Louisville Metro Animal Services (LMAS) did after Stephanie Jackson got back from the Maddie’s® Medium and Large Adult Dog Foster Apprenticeship at Pima Animal Care… Learn More

April 26, 2018

Yes, there was a real Maddie. She was a little dog born on April 26 many years ago. Today we celebrate her birthday. Maddie was part of Dave and Cheryl Duffield’s family for 10 years, and they founded Maddie’s Fund® to honor their sweet yet feisty and spirited dog. It’s the fulfillment of a promise… Learn More

April 10, 2018

Is achieving no-kill possible at an animal care and control facility? How about sustaining it? Brevard County Sheriff's office in Titusville, FL, proves both are possible, but it didn't happen overnight. In fact, it took about two years from when Sheriff Ivey and the Brevard County Sheriff's Office first took over animal services. Here’s what… Learn More

Ellen Jefferson, DVM, Ryan Clinton, Lee Ann ShenefielMarch 2018

This presentation is designed to give you context about the obstacles, the challenges, the successes and the strategies that made Austin, TX the largest No Kill (counting all animals entering the shelter) City in America.

Sheila Segurson D'Arpino, DVM, DACVBMarch 2018

Maddie's® Idea Lab supports the implementation and assessment of innovative ideas that have a high likelihood of advancing lifesaving of dogs and cats, the utilization of foster care for dogs and cats or animal welfare leadership. Come to this lecture to find out what we've learned and how these ideas are saving lives.

Mike Kaviani and Marian CannellMarch 2018

What should your shelter/community expect when you're ready to push past 90%? Come learn about "the last 10 percent", and the programs that are saving the dogs that have historically been deemed unsaveable.

March 27, 2018

Do you want to get more senior dogs and cats adopted? A new study reports that, to accomplish that goal, animal shelters and rescue organizations need to provide health care to pets already in the shelter, as well as veterinary support to help keep older pets in the homes they already have — whether it’s permanently,… Learn More

March 1, 2018

What is the single biggest mistake animal advocates can make when trying to work with lawmakers on animal issues in their communities? Ryan Clinton, who helped make Austin, Texas the largest no-kill city in the U.S., says this: “It’s for advocates to go to their city hall, make a presentation, be roundly ignored, and conclude… Learn More

February 8, 2018

Did you know that having veterans work with long-stay shelter dogs is a win-win for both veterans and the dogs? That's exactly what Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley (HSTV) discovered when they launched their Heroes and Hounds program, pairing veterans with at-risk dogs who need a little special attention to get ready for adoption.… Learn More

February 6, 2018

Whether your animal organization does large-scale transport in or out of your area, or moves one animal at a time for out-of-state adoptions, keeping those pets from getting sick, experiencing stress, or spreading disease into the receiving shelter or community is critical. Transport of animals from areas with limited adoption opportunities to those where there… Learn More

January 2, 2018

From expanding shelter hours to Sunday hikes with dogs, Animal Ark Rescue (AAR) in Columbus, GA, isn't afraid to try new things, and it's paying off big time for the animals and the community. The shelter has been open for a little less than six years and boasts a 99 percent save rate for its… Learn More

December 20, 2017

If you could use a great idea and some equally great news about just how much our communities want to help us save animals’ lives, here’s a #FalalaFoster story that will make your season bright! It comes from Morganne Struble of Lifeline Animal Project at Fulton County Animal Services in Georgia, which recently had a… Learn More

November 2, 2017

If you are working in animal welfare, it’s easy to think that the challenges faced by your community or your organization are unique — that you have to contend with problems, stakeholders, and circumstances other communities don’t. Amelia Monroe from Loudoun County Animal Services (LCAS) thought so, too, until she attended Maddie’s® Volunteer Management and… Learn More

October 24, 2017

Many people in animal welfare have seen other communities have success with innovative pet adoption promotions including fee-waived or reduced-fee adoptions, and would like to try implementing them in their city. Sometimes that’s as simple as announcing a promotion, but municipal shelters may find political and administrative policymakers aren’t easily brought on board. Jeannette Peters… Learn More

October 13, 2017

It’s hard to imagine that a story set in a prison is going to make you feel good, but this one will. In 2014, Karma Rescue in Southern California started Paws for Life, a training program at California State Prison – Los Angeles County. It was one of the first such programs for inmates serving… Learn More

October 12, 2017

Can a few days at an apprenticeship change your perspective on no-kill sheltering and foster care for large dogs? After attending Maddie’s® Medium and Large Adult Dog Foster Program Apprenticeship at Austin Animal Center, Patricia Zimmerman from Prince George’s County Animal Services in Maryland says it sure can. And it did. "It was amazing,” she… Learn More

September 28, 2017

Can a dog in your shelter benefit from just one sleepover with a foster? You bet, and we've got the research to back it up! A little over a year ago, Maddie's Fund® gave a grant to Carroll College to answer that very question, funding the first sleepover pilot study at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary… Learn More

September 14, 2017

What can you learn from kittens? For Kat Hamlin, cat adoption specialist for PetsConnect! in northern Indiana and southern Michigan, the answer is hands-on experience, lifesaving techniques and a new perspective. Her only complaint after attending Maddie's® Kitten Lifesaving Apprenticeship Program at Humane Society Silicon Valley? "I wish I could have stayed longer," she said. The… Learn More

September 7, 2017

If you've paid attention to the news or our social media since Hurricane Harvey hit, you're likely aware of some of the awe-inspiring actions from shelters, rescue organizations and volunteers in the affected areas. After assessing the needs and committing $1 million to support those helping the animals, we sent a few of our own… Learn More

August 22, 2017

“Ramp up your medical programs for seniors, folks – soon enough you’ll be seeing far more of those than adoption age kittens.” Those words were posted by Karina King, Director of Operations for the Dakin Humane Society, on a Million Cat Challenge discussion forum. For communities at the height of their kitten season, the thought… Learn More

Tim ReederAugust 2017

August 8, 2017

The Million Cat Challenge is a partnership of Maddie’s Fund®, the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program, Maddie’s Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Florida, and the ASPCA®, formed to help shelters save the lives of 1 million more cats. It is based on five key initiatives which bring forward those approaches that have… Learn More

June 27, 2017

The next generation of veterinarians wants to care for shelter pets. In a recent market analysis published by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), private practice held onto its traditional top spot for career interest among current veterinary students. Shelter medicine, however, clocked in at number two. This represents a profound change from attitudes toward… Learn More

June 20, 2017

The future of animal welfare leadership is looking bright with leaders like Sheila Kouhkan, Miranda Hitchcock, Matt Chan and Sarah Humlie at the forefront. All four individuals work in animal shelters across the U.S. and have been selected as fellows for Maddie’s® Executive Leadership Fellowship program, an intensive professional opportunity for individuals committed to developing and… Learn More

June 15, 2017

What if you could help keep pets out of the shelter and with their families by subsidizing veterinary care costs? That's exactly what Colorado’s Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region (HSPPR) had in mind when they applied for an Innovation Grant earlier this year. "Their Innovation Grant was to help people surrendering their animals… Learn More

April 18, 2017

Nina Stively wanted to increase welfare and lifesaving for shelter animals. She also believed it was crucial to the goal that the level of professionalism in the sheltering field rise. When she heard about the Maddie’s® Shelter Medicine Program online Masters in shelter medicine, she knew that was how she’d make both goals a reality… Learn More

April 11, 2017

When you think of a veterinarian working in an animal shelter, what do you imagine they do there? For many shelter managers who participated in a recent study, that answer is “perform spay/neuter surgery.” However, shelter veterinarians and shelter medicine can play a much larger role in an animal shelter, providing expertise on disease prevention… Learn More

April 7, 2017

B.J. Rogers is vice-president of ProLearning for the ASPCA. Earlier this year he wrote a post about the power of working together—and about collaboration as a key to increased impact. In this guest post, he's sharing news of a brand-new partnership whose aim is just that. Nothing like getting to walk the walk! In an… Learn More

March 21, 2017

When hundreds of cats in the New York City Animal Care and Control shelters tested positive for avian influenza last year, everyone involved set their only goal — saving the cats’ lives. That was a goal they reached, thanks to shelter medicine and the power of collaboration. “The NYACC did not want to euthanize a… Learn More

March 14, 2017

Madi R. Hawkins, Director of Habersham County Animal Care & Control in Georgia, loves cats. She especially loves being in charge of a shelter that’s committed to saving them — even though it hasn’t always been that way. “The polices in place when I first started, especially in regards to feral cats, were heartbreaking,” she… Learn More

February 9, 2017

If you’ve adopted a pet from an animal shelter or rescue group, you know how powerful the bond is that exists between the pet and their human family. You’re also probably aware of the efforts made by shelter and rescue staff and volunteers to make sure you and your pet found each other. What you… Learn More

January 26, 2017

When you hear the word “technology,” do you think it has nothing to do with your efforts to save animals? Does the word itself leave you cold? Next month, Maddie’s Fund® CIO Lars Rabbe will be launching a series of posts on how technology is the missing link in finding homes and habitats for the… Learn More

January 17, 2017

Lynda Foro, who in 1995 created the original No Kill Conference, passed away on December 27, 2016. Foro was an animal lover and not part of the humane movement when she first heard of the concept of “No Kill” in 1992. After visiting an animal sanctuary and educating herself on what was then only a… Learn More

December 14, 2016

It was an ordinary day as Stacy LeBaron was driving down the road, listening to one of her favorite podcasts about business and financials. Then it struck her – an Aha! Moment, out of nowhere. Her realization? There should be a podcast for community cats. LeBaron had been looking for a way to enhance the… Learn More

Dr. Ellen Jefferson and Ryan ClintonJanuary 2017

Hear the presenters review the decisions that were made, the communication used, the committees that were formed, the work that was divided up and the strategy that brought the City of Austin to no-kill. Learn More

November 1, 2016

There’s renewed interest in identifying shelter dogs not by breed but by their physical and personality traits. What’s prompted that, and is it an idea whose time has come? The idea itself isn’t new. Some adoption organizations did away with breed labels long ago, with some simply calling them “All American Shelter Dogs.” In fact,… Learn More

October 27, 2016

One of our favorite days – National Cat Day – is just around the corner this Saturday, October 29! Along with bringing attention to cats who need homes, this holiday also marks the one-year anniversary of MaddieCam, where we decided to stream live from Cat Town, America's first cat café. Today, MaddieCam streams live from… Learn More

October 25, 2016

Is not knowing what we don’t know hurting the animals in our care? Recently, APSCAPro published a blog post, “We Don’t Know What We Don’t Know.” It was about how shelter dogs pegged as having “behavior problems” often didn’t have those same behaviors in a foster home. They turned out to be shelter-specific behaviors, and… Learn More

October 18, 2016

Community cats: If you’ve got them, Best Friends wants to help. They’ve written a book covering everything from the ABCs to the rocket science of community cat management, and they’re giving it away as a free download! Topics covered include: The history of the TNR movement The importance of leadership Who in your community is… Learn More

October 13, 2016

Why would we tell you not to think about the animals? Because as counter intuitive as it may seem, you’ll probably find that spending less time thinking how to do a better job helping animals and more time doing and thinking about nothing in particular can create space for the very insight you need to… Learn More

Kristen AuerbachAugust 2016

Has your shelter struggled to achieve live outcomes for dogs who display common behavioral challenges like kennel stress, barrier reactivity and fear-based aggression? Learn how you could turn that around and save more dogs lives. Learn More

August 9, 2016

How much of the “conventional wisdom” about adoption and foster programs makes sense, and how much of it just keeps your organization from saving as many animals as it could? That was the question on Sherri Franklin’s mind as she first created Muttville Senior Dog Rescue, a San Francisco organization that has saved thousands of… Learn More

August 2016

Game-changing ‘pet retention’ and ‘safety net’ programs to keep pets in homes are gaining tremendous traction; however, pet relinquishment is still a very common occurrence in our nation’s shelters. In the instances where staying in a home is not possible, to what extent are pet guardians part of the rehoming process? What strategies are being employed to find a new home without having the pet step foot in the shelter? In this survey report, we examined beliefs around ‘pet owner rehoming,’ the extent to which guardians are empowered to find resolutions on their own, and the types of tools organizations provide to support the rehoming process. Learn More

July 21, 2016

When the Charleston Animal Society faced a massive scandal after years of high kill rates in the shelter, it might have been the end of the line. Thanks to the courage to recognize and act on its Aha! Moments, the organization and the community it serves have never been more in sync, and the animals… Learn More

July 18, 2016

Did you miss the Best Friends National Conference in Salt Lake City? Were you there, but couldn’t see everything, or just want to relive the top moments? From a dream for the future to just plain fun, check out these Maddie’s Fund® #HeardItAtBestFriends highlights! We asked people to tell us what the best idea they… Learn More

June 14, 2016

Most of us in animal welfare are on board with the concept of community cats — unowned cats who live in neighborhoods, some feral, some social. Can that concept work for dogs, too? It’s not an idea that sits easily with most people. Communities with large numbers of stray dogs in the U.S. are rare,… Learn More

June 1, 2016

What’s better than summer vacation for kids? Summer vacation spending time with and helping animals! If your kids are crazy about animals, and you want to encourage the development of empathy and compassion, summer programs working with homeless pets should be at the top of your family to-do list. Consider these possibilities. Reading programs are… Learn More

May 24, 2016

Dane County, WI, is a good place for homeless pets, thanks to Maddie and the hard work of local animal adoption organizations. The Maddie's® Pet Rescue Project in Dane County was a seven-year, collaborative effort to end the euthanasia of healthy and treatable shelter animals in the community. Four organizations came together during different periods… Learn More

May 2016

February 3, 2016

The University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine’s Maddie’s® Shelter Medicine Course invites all shelter veterinarians, shelter professionals, vet students, and community members to join them for their series of free webinars this semester: This lecture series not only discusses concepts key to sheltering but also helps veterinary students, shelter professionals and volunteers, and members… Learn More

Dr. Cristie Kamiya and Carol NovelloDecember 2015

Shelter veterinarians are a powerful source of experience, knowledge, training and insight that can guide animal shelters to improvements in every area of animal care. This webcast will take a comprehensive look at the benefits of giving a veterinarian a policy-making role in shelter operations. Learn More

Peter WolfOctober 2015

How can cat advocates cut through the misleading press releases and propaganda to combat proposed laws that seek to end lifesaving neuter-return programs and other cat-friendly efforts? With science, data and facts! Learn More

What is the "secret sauce” that created No-kill
Los Angeles’ rapid success? Come learn how Best Friends’ NKLA initiative formed
public/private partnerships, created a strong coalition, and broke through
misconceptions to save many more lives in L.A. Learn More

June 2015

During the Summer of 2014, Maddie’s Institute® conducted a survey to assess strategies that may prevent animals from entering shelter facilities. One such strategy involves asking community members who bring in kittens to care for them until organizational resources are available or they are old enough to be placed for adoption. This report addresses the extent to which organizations encourage community member care, the frequency of community members who elect to provide care, how organizational resources link to involvement and more. Learn More

Barbara Carr and Kathie JohnsonApril 2015

Not every cat who is presented to a shelter for relinquishment is in need of immediate admission. In many cases, simply knowing that help is available and the shelter can take the cat in the near future is enough to allow the community member to opt for an appointment down the road, when his or her cat can be better cared-for by the shelter. In some cases, supportive management may buy the owner enough breathing room that the cat ends up being able to remain in the current home after all. Learn More

Wiley Stem, IIIApril 2015

What if your city wanted to stop euthanizing community cats in the shelter, and decided to try something bold? And what if all the animal control officers, rescue groups and community members came together to make it work? Learn More

Becky RobinsonFebruary 2015

As Alley Cat Allies celebrates its 25th anniversary, Ms. Robinson reflects on the past quarter of a century. Where we were, what we have accomplished and what is yet to be achieved by the next generation! Come celebrate the rescued animals and advocacy accomplishments of the past while we also set our sights on the future. Learn More

Ryan ClintonFebruary 2015

Learn how animal advocates in Austin, Texas, put no-kill on the City's public-policy agenda, and how you can do the same for your community. Topics include writing press releases, strategies for communicating with public officials, learning how to handle opposition and spreading your lifesaving message. Learn More

Ryan ClintonFebruary 2015

Passing well-crafted legislation can be a key way to change the world for companion animals. This session covers municipal and state-focused legislative topics including rescue-access laws, city No Kill mandates, banning the gas chambers and regulating puppy mills. Learn More

Becky Robinson and Kayla ChristianoFebruary 2015

The movement to save cats has been gaining steam for 25 years and while TNR and other no-kill initiatives are in the news every day, it can still feel like your community isn’t changing at all. You’re angry and frustrated that your local shelter or animal control impounds and kills healthy animals and you wish someone would step in and fix it. After all, you’re only one person, right? Learn More

Sgt. Karl BaileyFebruary 2015

Discover how Sgt. Karl Bailey, with a small staff and a group of committed volunteers, changed a high kill city shelter to no-kill in just 120 seconds - and with a budget of less than $30,000 per year! Learn More

Leala Ward-VinsonFebruary 2015

Take a look into the ways that advocacy on individual and community levels can have a positive impact on treating all dogs equally, eliminating breed-related stigmas, abolishing outdated policies and improving the chances for targeted breeds to find homes and their families access to resources. Learn More

Megan RansomFebruary 2015

Take a look into the ways that advocacy on individual and community levels can have a positive impact on treating all dogs equally, eliminating breed-related stigmas, abolishing outdated policies and improving the chances for targeted breeds to find homes and their families access to resources. Learn More

Lindsey OrtizFebruary 2015

Take a look into the ways that advocacy on individual and community levels can have a positive impact on treating all dogs equally, eliminating breed-related stigmas, abolishing outdated policies and improving the chances for targeted breeds to find homes and their families access to resources. Learn More

Michael and Pam KitkoskiFebruary 2015

Learn how Rockwall Pets has taken two municipal open-admission shelters to no-kill status in Rockwall County, TX. Each shelter required a different tactic. There's more than one way to get it done! Learn More

Brent ToellnerFebruary 2015

In 2011, the city of Kansas City, MO put out an RFP for private organizations to run the city shelter; a shelter with a long history of being a high-kill shelter. When the deadline for bids passed, there were no bidders to take on the project. So a small group of advocates used the city's 3-week extension to build a business plan to successfully bid on, and take over, the city shelter contract. Learn More

Ann LindholmFebruary 2015

With a viable foster program it's possible to begin transforming your community to no-kill, even if you don't have a shelter. Learn how a one person position grew into a dog foster team of more than 35 volunteers. This team supports a network of over 1,000 approved foster parents. Learn More

Palmer NeuhausFebruary 2015

Fifty percent of the dogs in Austin, Texas were dying in 2008 when Austin Pets Alive! began saving lives. The rescue team had merely one- to two-hours to go through the euthanasia list, choose animals and save them before their time was up. Learn how the rescue team evaluated and chose dogs. Learn More

Faith Wright and Deaven WilsonFebruary 2015

Do you know how many small breed dogs are euthanized in your community shelter? In Austin, Texas in 2008, it was many more than would have been expected (roughly 500). Do you know that nearly ALL of them can be saved and although many are marked "aggressive”, they rarely are? Learn More

Katie Kresek and Alexis Bardzinksi, DVMFebruary 2015

Parvovirus is a major killer of dogs and puppies in shelters. Austin Pets Alive! built the first parvo ward that actively takes parvo-positive dogs from the community and other shelters for treatment and then placement. Learn More

Ellen Jefferson, DVM, and Jordana MoerbeFebruary 2015

Austin Pets Alive! Medical Clinic treats thousands of cats a year, many who are straight off of the euthanasia list because of medical conditions such as feline leukemia, FIV, renal disease, hepatic lipidosis, skin problems, viral diseases, and trauma. They save them all and this session is about how they do it. Learn More

Ashley FerryFebruary 2015

Fosters often mean the difference between life and death for cats in the shelter. They are essential in addressing overcrowding issues, shelter behavior problems and providing personalized care for medical conditions. Learn More

Monica FrendenFebruary 2015

Often overlooked for rescue, feral and fractious cats can be saved through a progressive Barn Placement Program and given a new lease on life as working cats. Learn how to start a barn program from scratch.
Learn More

Casandra MensingFebruary 2015

In this is a two-part presentation, you’ll learn how to start and build a bottle baby nursery, plus how to create a foster network for neonates. In Part 1, Casandra Mensing will share her experience running APA!’s Nursery, from its meager beginnings to the groundbreaking phenomenon that it is today.
Learn More

Monica FrendenFebruary 2015

Too many cats, not enough adopters? Supersize your cat adoption program! In this Level 2 seminar, you'll learn how to manage a population of hundreds of cats in varying stages of your organization.
Learn More

Gerri KapplerFebruary 2015

Austin
Pets Alive! is well known for its huge volunteer force (over 2,000 hours per
week). But in 2008 APA! started with no funds for staff and relied solely on
volunteers to do everything related to saving lives and building a huge
organization. How did they do it? Learn More

Julie Levy, DVM, PhD, DACVIM and Kate Hurley, DVM, MPVMJanuary 2015

Every cat counts. That's the premise of the Million Cat Challenge, a joint campaign of the UC Davis Koret Shelter Medicine Program and the Maddie's® Shelter Medicine Program at the University of Florida.
Learn More

Sherri Franklin, Laurie Routhier, Marie Macaspac November 2014

What if your shelter or rescue group had a long list of people wanting
to foster pets for you? What if you had a great system in place to
recruit, train, reward and manage those foster homes? What if you had a
whole army of people to help get those pets ready for adoption? Learn More

October 2014

In this short documentary film, Maddie's Fund takes a look at how shelter medicine arrived at this moment in time, the role Maddie's Fund played in that journey, and what the future holds for shelters, shelter veterinarians, and the animals whose lives are in their care. Learn More

Does your shelter or rescue group have medical protocols in place to care for your pets and for your fostered dogs and cats? Foster programs are critical if we want to help more pets who are facing treatable medical conditions, and to expand the capacity of a community to care for its homeless pets.
Learn More

Elizabeth J. Thomovsky, MS, DVM, DACVECC March 2014

Neonatal kittens' lives are fragile under the best of circumstances, and that fragility increases when they are orphaned or sick. How can shelter veterinarians, and those working with kitten nursery programs or rescue groups, provide the best care for this population?
Learn More

Julie Levy, DVM, PhD, DACVIM and Shaye Olmstead October 2013

Operation Catnip's proactive "litter prevention" program performs 3,000 trap-neuter-return (TNR) surgeries each year for community cats using monthly high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter clinics capable of sterilizing more than 200 cats in a single day. This program was instrumental in reducing cat euthanasia at the local shelter from 81% to 42% over 13 years. In 2012, the program was expanded to include a reactive "shelter-neuter-return" program targeting the cats most at risk of immediate euthanasia: adult impounded strays. By neutering and returning these shelter cats to their neighborhoods, cat euthanasia plummeted to 13% in 2012, making Alachua County the safest place to be a cat in Florida. Learn More

Julie Levy, DVM, PhD, DACVIM and Shaye Olmstead October 2013

Operation Catnip's proactive "litter prevention" program performs 3,000 trap-neuter-return (TNR) surgeries each year for community cats using monthly high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter clinics capable of sterilizing more than 200 cats in a single day. This program was instrumental in reducing cat euthanasia at the local shelter from 81% to 42% over 13 years. In 2012, the program was expanded to include a reactive "shelter-neuter-return" program targeting the cats most at risk of immediate euthanasia: adult impounded strays. By neutering and returning these shelter cats to their neighborhoods, cat euthanasia plummeted to 13% in 2012, making Alachua County the safest place to be a cat in Florida. Learn More

Scott Trebatoski, MBA, ACO, CET, QETIOctober 2013

Jacksonville Animal Care & Protective Services has made significant improvements towards no-kill animal control while suffering drastic budget cuts. In 2007 JACPS had an 81% euthanasia rate with a $5 million budget and 62 team members; by 2012 the euthanasia rate had been reduced to 31% while the budget was chopped to $3 million and staff to 44. Learn More

Joe ElmoreOctober 2013

Feral Freedom return-to-field programs are quickly becoming the gold standard for community cat management in progressive communities nationwide. In Charleston County, South Carolina, animal organizations have implemented the Feral Freedom strategy as a collaboration of local organizations and animal control agencies, affirmed by ordinances created to reinforce this strategy to save more lives and reduce intake. Learn More

September 2013

Orphaned kittens are the most fragile of homeless animals, and many shelters consider it too resource-intensive to care for them. For that reason, they often make up the largest single group of animals euthanized at many shelters. We surveyed shelters and rescue organizations to gather data on: care and housing, prevalence of health issues, training given to individuals who provide care, and challenges organizations may face in providing care for kittens. Learn More

In Part Two of Making the Case for a Paradigm Shift in Community Cat Management, Maddie's Fund® will present some of the nation's leading experts on animal sheltering and community cats in a comprehensive Q&A panel discussion on the information in Dr. Hurley's webcast.
Learn More

Jesse OldhamJuly 2013

The presentation covers a basic overview of Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) programs, and explores how TNR programs might differ depending on who is implementing them, the resources available in a community and the desired program outcomes. Learn More

Janet M. Scarlett, DVM, MPH, PhDJuly 2013

Large numbers of kittens entering shelters continue to be a major problem for many shelters. Geographic information systems (GIS) technology can be used to identify geographic areas that repeatedly are a source of kittens. Learn More

Jeannette PetersMay 2013

It’s been proven that free pet adoptions save lives, but some communities prohibit the practice. Animal advocates in Alachua County, Florida persuaded their County Commissioners to change their restrictive policy with patience, personal relationships, research and statistics. Learn More

Laurie Peek, DVM and Heidi Beyer, CVTApril 2013

These short videos will provide essential care instructions for orphaned kittens. Whether you are a seasoned foster parent or just getting started saving these orphaned baby lives, these videos will guide you through the basics. Learn More

Laurie Peek, DVMApril 2013

Based on years of personal experience, Maddie's Fund Director of Veterinary Programs Laurie Peek, DVM, provides a step-by-step guide to caring for orphaned kittens, including how to recognize, avoid and respond to the most common threats they face. Learn More

Susan Krebsbach, DVMApril 2013

Kittens may start out tiny and helpless, but they rapidly develop into some of nature's most agile and active creatures. Making sure they grow up with their social and behavioral needs met is as important as making sure their physical needs are fulfilled, says Susan Krebsbach, DVM. Learn More

Ellen Jefferson, DVM and Heidi Beyer, CVTMarch 2013

In this two-part webcast, Dr. Jefferson discusses her organization's kitten nursery and foster-based care program while Heidi Beyer, CVT, gives foster caregivers a leg up with practical tips for orphaned kitten care. Learn More

August 2012

Ryan Clinton shares the strategy for working with local lawmakers that helped Austin, TX, set an aggressive no-kill goal for their city – which has been saving more than 90% of its animals for more than a year now. Learn More

Julie Levy, DVM, PhD, DACVIMJanuary 2012

Do you want to stop the tragic deaths of shelter cats, and cut your
shelter's cat intake dramatically and almost overnight? Want to practice
high-volume, high-quality spay/neuter and disease management on cats?
How about learning how to get your community - including municipal
government - on board with trap-neuter-return programs? Want evidence
that such programs can actually work to reduce the population of
community cats, prevent the spread of disease, and save resources and
money for local shelters? Learn More

Brenda Barnette2009

The Seattle Humane Society wanted to remain an open door private shelter, but the number of pets coming in exceeded the space it had to properly care for them. The solution: ask the community to help foster. The result: 3,001 dogs and cats in foster care in FY2008-2009. Learn More